Mock Croc, Scallop, or Shell-in-the-Yarn

Shell motifs is to crocheters as seed stitches are to knitters: a basic pattern of stitches that creates a small, textured motif in the finished work. They take little advanced knowledge and make the work go quickly. One of the most popular shell motifs today is the overlapping detached shell, also known as the crocodile stitch.


A similarly-scaled effect can be created in either knit or crochet by varying the number of threads we pick up each time we wrap the yarn over the hook or needle. The difference between this and ruching is that with the scallop stitch, we pick up all of the threads from the working edge through the indicated thread for the current wrap, rather than picking up only the thread of the current wrap. As I noted in a previous post, this will create a variable thickness in the working row; crocheters may need to use a larger hook to get the bulk of multiple working threads through the previous work. Conversely, knitters may need to use a smaller needle to manage working the multiple threads.

Single chain, Shell-in-Yarn, Starbella Flash

The basic method of working scallops is to pick up one additional thread on each stitch (or yarn-over) through the embellished edge, then one fewer thread on each stitch (or yarn-over) until only the working edge remains, and repeat.This works fine in a double or treble crochet and a wide mesh, in which the repeat may only take two or three stitches; it's a bit less obvious in knitting, where the repeat could take as many as twenty stitches.

Six rows knit scallop, Starbella Flash

One method of shortening this is to work with multiples of two, three, or more threads on each stitch.

I brought the pattern forward on the sample at right by working 1, 4, 7. all, 7, 4, 1 threads on an every third row pattern over 20 stitches. I brought all the scallops to the front of the work, and straight ruffles to the back, as follows: R1, 2: knit --start pattern-- R3: knit scallop row R4: knit R5: purl R6: purl scallop row R7: purl R8: knit --end pattern-- The scallops aren't precisely counterposed on this sample — I should have worked over 21 stitches to do perfect three-and-a-half pattern repeats: (1, 4, 7, all, 7, 4 for a six-stitch pattern) A deeper scallop might be achieved by skipping one or more spaces between each yarn-over.

6-row scallop stitch pattern

In crochet, scallops can be sent to one side of the work using the ball front/ball back technique discussed in a previous post.

Changing the Ruffle Width

The mesh structure of ruffle yarns allows us to play with the width of the ruffle — that is to say, how far it stands out from the body of the fabric. In sewing, a narrower ruffling strip makes a narrower ruffle, and that's pretty much the end of it. (Unless you're ruching the strip, which is the subject of another post.)

We can create a narrower ruffle in two ways:

1. We can work the first two, three, four, or more threads together into a thick working edge.
   

   Working the first, first two, first three, and first five threads of Sashay.

   Chain side of 5, 3, 2, and 1 worked threads

   
   
2. We can make the second, third, fourth, or middle thread as if it were the working edge, leaving Thread 1 to form a second, often shallower, double ruffle.

Top to bottom: Chained 5th thread; chained first 5 threads together; chained first 3 threads together; chained 3rd thread

Ruching

Ruching is a pleating or ruffling technique of taking equal, measured stitches diagonally across a narrow piece of trim in a zig-zag pattern and gathering the fabric along the seam line, straightening out the seam. The result is equally-sized puffs of fabric on both sides of a central seam, each side offset from the other by half the length of the zig-zag.

The orange yarn marks the ruching path	The blueish yarn marks the ruching path
The gathering (ruching) thread has been drawn straight.	Starbella Flash drawn up on ruching thread

Another method is to slip stitch along the ruching lines. This creates an equally measured path along which the yarn can be easily folded, creating two overlapping rows of petals.

Top: Starbella Flash trimmed in Lily Daisy #30 crochet cotton
Bottojm: Trendsetter Flamenco trimmed in Velnette

When wrapped spirally, ruched ruffle yarn makes a distinctive ruched rose.

The End of the Yarn

There are two places in our work in which we come to the end of the yarn: when we are about to finish a skein in the middle of our work (and need to graft in more yarn to continue), or when we come to the end of our work and need to secure the final stitches.

Because of its bulk, the ends of a ball of ruffle yarn cannot be woven into the work the same way we work in the ends of traditional yarns.

Adding More Yarn

We've come to the end of our yarn

Overlay the old and new yarns
(contrast used to demonstrate technique)

Work the two yarns as one until the old yarn runs out

When adding more yarn, overlap the last three or four loops of the ball you are about to finish with the first three loops of the  new ball. Work the loops of both balls together, the same way you did with the folded-over loops at the start of  your work.

Now working with just the new yarn

How the old and new yarns work into each other
(this would be invisible with the same color yarn)

Finishing Your Work

With a Pulled-Through End (Ribbon Yarns, Worked As Yarn)

As you approach your last several stitches, count out the number of loops you will need to complete those stitches, plus an additional four loops. 

When you get to the end of your work, pull the remaining yarn through the last loop.

Pull to tighten the last stitch and secure the tail.

If the stitch will not tighten (which is typical for ruffle yarns), you will need to use sewing thread to secure the tail to the back of the work.

With a Sewn-In End

As you approach your last several stitches, count out the number of loops you will need to complete those stitches, plus an additional four loops. 

Cut the yarn along its width. 

Fold back the last four loops of the yarn, the same way you did with the first two loops when starting your work.

Work as usual, binding off (knitting) or crocheting your final stitches.

At the end, you should have a single loop of doubled yarn on your hook or needle. 

Take a needle and sewing thread, and sew this loop, either to the first two unworked threads of the yarn's edge, or to the previous two or three stitches of your work.

With a Knotted End (Mesh Yarns Only)

As you approach your last several stitches, count out the number of loops you will need to complete those stitches, plus an additional few loops. 

Cut the yarn along its width. 

Using only the four extra loops, cut the yarn along its length between the second and third threads, or between the highest-number worked thread and the thread beneath it..(If the yarn has many threads, you may want to make a parallel cut several threads down, to end up with two "strings" of about equal bulk, plus an embellished tail.)

At the end of the work, pull the working threads through the loop formed by the last stitch, leaving the cut part of the yarn behind.

Using the pulled-through yarn as one "string", and the remainder as a second "string", tie the two strings together using a square knot.

Trim the trailing ends, (and if appropriate, the embellished tail).

Basic Stitches: Double Crochet

Double Crochet

Double crochet is, in my opinion, the quickest and most effective fabric, or filling, stitch in crochet. It works up more rapidly than single crochet, without the long bars and open spaces of treble crochet, double treble, or bullion stitch.

In ruffle yarns, the longer stitch of double crochet presents a deeper ruffle than single crochet. On the flip side, the longer stitch means a longer length of unruffled "back side" between rows on The Scarf, while reducing the "z-direction" — the thickness of the scarf. It makes for a thinner, more flexible scarf, and in a ribbon yarn, can bring to mind the curls of natural fleece or the evenly-spaced curves of an Elizabethan ruff.

Insert hook through next open loop of yarn.
	Insert hook through next open chain or stitch; wrap next open loop of yarn around hook. Use hook to draw the last thread through the chain or stitch.
Wrap next open loop of yarn around hook. Draw thread through the loop and yarn-over on the hook.
Yarn over once again, and draw through both loops on hook.
Row of Double Crochet (Flamenco by Trendsetter)	Row of Double Crochet (Twist & Twirl by Bernat)
After a few rows of stitches:
Flamenco (Trendsetter) Twist & Twirl (Bernat)	Top to bottom: Flaunt (Loops & Threads) Sashay (Red Heart Boutique) Starbella (Premier Yarns)

Basic Stitches: Single Crochet

Single Crochet

Single crochet creates a dense, thick, shallow ruffle.

Flamenco by Trendsetter Yarns	Insert your hook through the chain top of the previous row or round, or the top of your foundation chain.
Slip the next free loop of the yarn's working edge over the hook.
Draw the thread through the previous-row loop.
	Slip the next free loop of the yarn's working edge over the hook.
Draw the thread through both loops on the hook.

After the first row:
After several rows:
The other side of the work:

Examples

Top to bottom: examples of single crochet in Flaunt (Loops & Threads), Sashay (Red Heart Boutique), and Starbella (Premier Yarns). Note the short yarn height, shallow ruffles, and dense texture.

Starting Work: Crochet

The Foundation Chain

After preparing the yarn, unroll a foot or two so that the working edge is at the top, and the free edge is at the bottom.

Large Net and Ribbon Yarn

Fold over the raw edge between the second and third loops so that the second and first loops exactly overlay the third and fourth loops.

Starbella Flash	Ribbon Yarn (Loops & Threads Flaunt)

Considering only the working edge, the first double-loop from the folded edge is your initial slip knot. Insert the hook into the second double-loop and pull through the first for your first chain. Place a stitch marker through the first chain stitch.

Stitch marker through first chain stitch (lower right)

Continue to chain by inserting the hook through the next open loop of yarn and pulling the thread through the chain loop on the hook.

Small Net Mesh Yarn

Fold over the raw edge 1"-2" (2-5 cm) on a narrow yarn, or 3" (8 cm) on a wider yarn, matching loops on the working edge.

Insert the hook into the working edge about 1/2" (1 cm) from the folded edge.

Considering only the working edge, insert the hook about 1" (2.5 cm) from the loop already on the hook; pull through the loop on your hook for your first chain. Place a stitch marker through the first chain stitch.

Second chain. Notice stitch marker under thumb

Chaining

If you start your work with a chain, continue chaining in this manner until you have as many stitches as your pattern requires. Place a stitch marker through the last chain before starting your first row.

The First Row

The top chain of Flaunt is highlighted in yellow

The top chain of Twist & Twirl is highlighted in green

Looking  at the top of the chain you just completed, you should see what looks like a traditional chain stitch, formed by the working edge. This is the part of the work into which you will insert your hook for the first row of stitches.

Continue to use the next open loop on ribbon and large mesh yarns (or the loop about 1" from the previous yarn-over on small mesh yarns) for yarn-overs, while in all other ways forming your stitches as usual.

Notes

Remember to move up your stitch markers at the beginning and end of each row, or at the beginning of each round.

If for any reason you need to stop your work, remove your hook from the active loop and insert a locking stitch marker in its place.